Starburst is the NetEnt classic that stays in every UK lobby: ten lines that pay both ways, expanding wilds and quick, frequent wins. This review covers how the Starburst slot plays, what its volatility means for your budget, and where to find Starburst free spins.
Starburst is a 5×3 slot from NetEnt, released in 2012, with 10 paylines that pay both ways, a 96.08% RTP and an 800× max win, according to NetEnt's game page. NetEnt rates it medium volatility, while UK review sites such as OLBG list it as low. It has no free spins round: the feature is the Starburst wild, which lands on the middle three reels, expands to fill its reel and gives a respin, up to three respins in a row. Wins come often and are mostly small. 22 UK casino offers give free spins on Starburst, many of them as prizes on a prize wheel.
2012 StarburstNetEnt
| Provider | NetEnt |
|---|---|
| Released | 2012 |
| RTP | 96.08% OLBG and Gambling.com quote 96.09% |
| Volatility | Medium NetEnt rates it medium; OLBG and Gambling.com list it as low |
| Max win | 800× Many reviews quote 500× |
| Layout | 5×3, 10 lines, both ways |
| Stake in the UK | Up to £5 a spin (£2 if you are 18 to 24) |
| Bonus buy | Not available in Great Britain |
| Free spins offers | 22 at UK casinos, 1 with no wagering |
Sources: NetEnt game page (games.netent.com). RTP is the headline figure; UK casinos can run lower versions, shown in the game's info screen.
Set a budget and a stake. We work out the average cost of play at the game's 96.08% RTP. Real sessions swing well above and below this average.
The Starburst slot is a 5×3 game with 10 fixed lines, and every line pays both ways: from the leftmost reel to the right and from the rightmost reel to the left. That doubles the ways a line can land and is the main reason wins arrive so often. The symbols are a gold bar, a lucky seven and five coloured gems; the bar and the seven pay the most.
There is no bonus round, no multiplier and no pick game. Everything happens on the main reels, in short sessions of spins that move quickly. NetEnt released the game in 2012, and it is still one of the most played slots in the UK because it is easy to understand and rarely leaves you waiting.
The Starburst wild can land only on reels 2, 3 and 4. When one lands, it expands to cover the whole reel, stays in place and the other reels respin. If another wild lands during the respin, it also expands and holds, and you get another respin, up to three in total. With all three middle reels wild, most of the ten lines pay at once in both directions.
That chain of respins is the feature. A single wild usually returns a few times your stake; two or three wilds together produce the bigger hits. Because it can happen on any spin, the game never needs a separate bonus round to create excitement.
Starburst has no free spins feature of its own, so when people search for Starburst free spins they mean casino offers that give spins on the game. In the UK there are plenty: 22 offers in our database name Starburst. 13 of them are Mega Wheel or Mega Reel prizes at Jumpman Gaming sites, where 500 spins on Starburst is the top prize rather than a guaranteed reward. Fixed offers on the game include Sportingbet (100 Free Spins on Starburst), Hey Spin (50 Free Spins on Starburst), Space Wins (5 Free Spins on Starburst). Starburst no deposit spins are rare in the UK, and where they exist they are small and come with a cap on winnings. Because small wins come often, most players get some return from a set of spins, but the 800× ceiling limits the upside.
Most fixed offers give spins worth 10p each, so 50 Starburst spins are £5 of play and 100 are £10. With a game this steady, the result of a set of spins usually lands near its average, a few pounds, which makes the wagering and any cap on winnings more important than the number of spins. Compare those terms on the offer cards below.
The Starburst RTP is 96.08%, the figure on NetEnt's own game page; OLBG and Gambling.com quote 96.09%. NetEnt also supplies other configurations, so check the game rules inside the slot at your casino. At 96.08%, £1,000 of total stakes would cost about £39 on average. NetEnt gives the game a hit frequency of 23%, so roughly one spin in four or five returns something, and real sessions tend to stay closer to the average than they do on high-volatility slots, though no session is guaranteed.
The Starburst max win is 800× your stake, according to NetEnt's game page: £800 on a £1 spin, or £4,000 at the £5 UK maximum. Many reviews still quote 500×, so treat that figure with care. The top win needs the best symbols across many lines during a full-wild respin. That low ceiling is the price of the steady results.
Volatility is where sources differ. NetEnt's own page rates Starburst medium volatility, while UK review sites such as OLBG and Gambling.com list it as low. Either way, the pattern is the same: frequent small wins, few long losing runs, and no realistic chance of a life-changing win on any spin.
Because it pays often, Starburst is a common choice for playing through bonus wagering. For the same reason, some casinos exclude it from wagering or count it at a lower rate. If you plan to use a deposit bonus on it, read the game weighting in the bonus terms first. With the UK cap of 10× on bonus wagering, a game that pays this often makes the requirement easier to complete without long dry spells.
Starburst free play means the demo version, which uses play credits instead of money. A Starburst demo is available at UK licensed casinos after you register and complete the age check that UK rules require for free play. It is a quick way to see how the wild and respins look. As with any slot, the demo cannot tell you how a real-money session will go.
In Great Britain you can stake up to £5 a spin, or £2 if you are 18 to 24, and each spin takes at least 2.5 seconds. There is no autoplay or turbo. Starburst was always a fast game, so the minimum spin time is the change UK players notice most; it slows sessions down a little, which also makes a budget last longer in real time.
Starburst is usually grouped with the steadiest classic games. In our catalogue, Sizzling Hot Deluxe and Double Diamond are the classic alternatives, with simple lines and no big feature. Mega Moolah is rated low-medium volatility in our catalogue but adds a progressive jackpot, which is why its RTP looks much lower. If you want the same gem theme with more risk, Starburst XXXtreme is NetEnt's high-volatility version, though it is a different game with different maths.
Starburst is worth playing if you want long, relaxed sessions and frequent wins at a small stake. The both-ways lines and expanding wilds make it easy to follow, the RTP is fair, and it is one of the better games for using free spins and clearing low wagering. It is the wrong choice if you want big swings: the 800× ceiling is fixed, and no stake change will alter that.
There is no way to make sure you win on Starburst: every spin is random and the RTP is fixed by the game version. Play small stakes for longer sessions; that is where the game is at its best. Check that Starburst counts towards wagering before using a bonus on it. Do not raise the stake to chase a big win, because the ceiling does not move. Check the RTP version at each casino, and set a deposit limit before you start. Free help is available from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
These UK licensed casinos give free spins on Starburst to new customers. The best offers come first: no wagering before wagering, then by casino score.
18+ T&Cs. New customers. Deposit £10 or more for one Mega Wheel spin. The top prize is 500 free spins on Starburst, but a prize of that size is not guaranteed. Spin winnings carry no wagering; any bonus cash carries 10× wagering, and bonus money converts to cash only up to your lifetime deposits, capped at £250.
18+ T&Cs. New customers. Listed as a 100% match up to £200 plus 30 spins on Starburst, 10× wagering within 30 days; spin winnings capped at £20 and valid 7 days. Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. Other versions are reported; check the current terms.
18+ T&Cs. New customers. Deposit £10+ within 30 days of registering for 100 spins worth 10p on Starburst, credited automatically; activate within 7 days. Spin winnings carry 10× wagering within 30 days. Skrill, Neteller, PayPal and Paysafecard deposits excluded. No code needed.
See all 22 offers with Starburst spins →
Starburst next to two other simple classics and a famous jackpot slot.
| Starburst | Sizzling Hot Deluxe | Double Diamond | Mega Moolah | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | NetEnt | Novomatic | IGT | Microgaming |
| Released | 2012 | Not stated | Not stated | 2006 |
| RTP | 96.08% Best | 95.66% | 95.44% | 88.12% |
| Volatility | Medium | Low-medium | Low-medium | Low-medium |
| Max win | 800× | 5,000× Best | See paytable | See paytable |
| Layout | 5×3, 10 lines, both ways | 5×3, 5 lines | 3×3, 1 line | 5×3, 25 lines |
| Free spins offers | 22 Best | 1 | None | 1 |
| Best offer | Mega Wheel: up to 500 Free Spins 24 Spin | 100 Free Spins on First Deposit Admiral Casino | None | 80 Chances for £1 on Mega Moolah Zodiac Casino |
96.08% on NetEnt's game page; some review sites quote 96.09%. NetEnt also supplies other versions, so check the game rules at your casino.
No. The feature is the expanding Starburst wild with up to three respins. Casinos often give free spins on the game as a welcome offer.
800× your stake according to NetEnt's game page, which is £4,000 at the £5 UK maximum stake. Many reviews quote 500×.
NetEnt rates it medium volatility on its own game page, while OLBG and Gambling.com list it as low. Wins come often and are mostly small, which is why it suits long sessions and bonus wagering.
Yes. All 10 lines pay from left to right and from right to left.
Often yes, but some casinos exclude it or count it at a lower rate. Check the game weighting in the bonus terms.
